Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release
provided by 
12.04.2008 - 03:02pm ET
News from:
CSRwire's Video, Commentary and Research
Verité Works: Strengthening Civil Society in China
(CSRwire) This is a periodic publication aimed at informing a broad audience about
Verité's innovation and learning in the practice of ethical sourcing and
corporate social responsibility. This first report, Strengthening
Institutions for Worker Empowerment, focuses on our capacity-building work
among civil society organizations (CSOs) - both non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and academic institutions - in China. Integral to
Verité's approach to improving working conditions worldwide is
collaboration and partnership with local institutions in assessing
workplaces; training workers, managers and other stakeholders; and
conducting in-depth research. Local CSOs are critical to imbuing labor
assessments and remedial programs with a nuanced, deep and accurate
understanding of local conditions. CSOs are critical also to ensuring that
workers will have local, independent voices supporting and advocating for
their interests over the long term. A vibrant civil society is an
essential force for holding government accountable for upholding legal and
ethical protections for its workers. In China the number and diversity of
CSOs is growing, but still small relative to the scale of the social
challenges facing the country. The community of civil society
organizations that does exist lacks institutional capacity in the areas of
labor standards and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The few
labor-oriented organizations that operate in China are hampered by limited
capacity to deliver the types of programs that are critical to sustaining
systemic improvements in labor protections. This issue of Verité Works
profiles the first phase of an on-going program of capacity building among
CSOs in China. Our goal was to increase the capacity of Chinese civil
society to improve working conditions by expanding understanding of labor
standards and CSR among workers, NGOs, and other CSOs. The program is
equipping CSOs at the regional and grassroots levels, with a focus on
provincial universities, with the capability to train and support workers,
as well as other members of the CSO community, and to promote labor
standards in the workplace. This program is part of Verité's ongoing work
in identifying and developing practical and sustainable solutions to
illegal, unfair and unsafe working conditions through training and
education for all stakeholders.
To read the report click here!
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